the first Harley's

[HarleyCreation]

Earl:
And I'd like to learn how that rider kept that big number three on his back throughout the whole race !!!!

Yes, and he looks like a guy out of a Flash Gordon movie. What an EXCELLENT historical photo!

[HarleyCreation]

Wow, motorcycle archeology at it's finest! This motor appears to be numbered like a fine German pistol with the serial number on at least some of its component parts. Hand fitted, no doubt.

Lonnie, are you saying the flywheels are larger than others of the same vintage you've examined in the past? Or just that this era had extra large flywheels? Can you measure them?

In 1908 the woodshed factory on Juneau Ave. was updated with one or more additions and then faced with "Cream City" brick. See the photos on pages 121 and 144 in "At the Creation" book. Also the little cover photo (3rd from right) showing the two story factory with smoke coming out of the chimney (also seen in the top center image of the multi-factory study Chris posted).

Those 3 photos cover the factory during the late 1907 thru 1908 period. If Cory or someone would like to post them out of the book, it's okay by me.

The image below is the Yellow Brick Factory as it appeared by late 1908, the birthplace of 2221. Wouldn't you like to step inside?

Let's try this:

[Jerry Wieland]

I was talking to Lonnie today about what was expected of me as one of the support sidecar rigs that is going to be along with Cannonball Run and I happened to mention that I at one time owned the 1907 early 8 bolt motor '1835' that is in the black bike pictured previously and he asked me if I would post what little history I knew about it.

So here goes - I was vending at the Sturgis SD Rally in either 90 or 91 with a good friend of mine and this ranch hand walks up to our booth and asks if I am interested in buying an old HD motor. I said I was possibly interested so he went and got the motor and brought it back. We made the deal and it was bought (had no idea what year it was) and he made a few comments about having found it on a local ranch attached to an old water pump. Now here is where I missed the boat and by 1991 I knew better because I had already been into old bikes almost 20 years. The guy walked off and I never got any more of the story, never got his name or a single thing. It is one of the things that I deeply regret -- although when I saw what the other motor recently brought on ebay I have to admit my heart jumped and I had a slight momentary bit of "sellers regret".

I took the motor to Davenport that same fall with the intention of finding out more about it and I intended to hang it on the wall of my shop as an ornament. I had owned quite a few old motorcycle engines over the years and I was thinking this was one I could afford to hang onto.

When we set the motor outside of the trailer it caused a stir that I have seldon seen in all my years of vending. Instantly a big crowd gathered. A couple of guys actually went sprinting off to get their buddies and the people were actually bidding on what they would give for the motor. I was actually in a state of shock I think and actually put it away for a while so I could collect my thoughts.

The bottom line is that I sold it to a guy that I consider a friend and had the drive, the money and the contacts to turn the engine into the bike pictured.

Jerry

[jurassic]

man jerry ,thats a great story. i always wondering how that engine was discovered. here's main street sturgis circa. 1907

[jurassic]

1835

jerry ,here she is as after extensive renovation.which was done in sturgis.any chance at all you got some pics of when you found it? i'm a junkie for this stuff.we're slowly adding a little history to these things ,one bit at a time.

[silentgreyfello]

That is a great story, Jerry! I grew up in the Sturgis area and still lived there when your motor surfaced. Unfortunately, I was into crotch rockets at the time and didn't have the interest yet to look for the early stuff! The rest of that bike still might be out on a farm near Newell. My dad owned a body shop in Sturgis in the early 60's where Mr. Al's is and someone brought in a very nice original paint camel-back Indian and had my dad restore it. I have always wondered what happened to that bike. There used to be an Indian 4 that an old guy had just off Junction Ave. I stopped one time while riding my VFR750 and chatted with him. I am sure he is long gone now.

[c.o.]

Awesome story Jerry! I admire you for being able to part with an early engine like that because you knew that somebody else was going to finish the project. A lot of folks would have hoarded it. As far as the latest ebay results, I can see where a fella in your position might kick himself but you did a good thing with that motor.

[HarleyCreation]

Indeed a good story!

Seems to me that Bruce's '05 motor ended up attached to a pump or some other piece of farm equipment in Iowa. Probably the fate of many early Harleys after the wheels or frames broke or they just became hopelessly outclassed and obsolete by the mid-teens and the arrival of 3-speed machines. You couldn't give an early bike away by that time. If not totally scrapped the motor was used for another application. Maybe there's still more of them out there than we know, still plugging away on somebody's irrigation pump, etc. Maybe even the 1904 proto. We still don't know what happened to that baby, altho hardly a day goes by when I don't think of it.

[flat-happy]

that's what the '13 henderson 4 motor i found in new hampshire was being used for---a water pump. now dale walksler has it running in a 2 wheel chassis again. i can't help but think some of that chassis is still in an old barn up there some where. the metal survives but the people who know about it don't.

[jurassic]

here is a picture of 1872. this pic was taken back in the twenties.so harley has owned this bike for almost 90 years.it is the second earliest vin number known,as far as i know. its always been tagged as a 1907 ,which is probably correct, at least for the engine.whether or not the chassis is correct for 1907 is anyones guess.

[jurassic]

here's a picture of 1872 as it is today.looks like a sweet piece.if you look close you can see that the bottom edge of the gas tank has a curve to it.in my opinion this is a late 1908 feature. most tanks had a square edge,the side fill ,and the front fill models both had a square edge. until sometime in 1908.this bike also has the 1908 type sager fork,but there is no evidence that this fork was not used in late 1907.

[jurassic]

this ad from may 4 1907 shows some of the transitions that were going on in 1907 .even towards the middle of the year they still retained the early style side fill gas tank ,and the sager type attachment,not the sager fork .but the new 8 bolt motor is powering the machine.looks like it also has smooth fenders.

[HarleyCreation]

this bike also has the 1908 type sager fork,but there is no evidence that this fork was not used in late 1907.

No offense, but just a caution about thinking that way if I'm understanding you correctly.

Unless we have period evidence that the 1908 type fork was used on late 1907 models, we should be cautious in believing that it was used. Just because one is found on a factory collection bike that is not enough proof, because we know those bikes (esp the early ones) often are a hodge-podge of parts from various years (a 1908 motor number on the "1906" model readily comes to mind).

After 100 years a fork replacement is quite likely, so the true fact of the matter needs more evidence. At least I think so.

[jurassic]

the general meaning of my statement was that we dont know exactly when the sager fork was introduced. it appears from the 1907 ad ,that by may 4 1907 they were not using the sager fork ,only the sager attachment.didn't someone have some records or an order form from sager to harley? i seem to remember something about that.i doubt the attachment was used in 1908,so possibly somewhere between may 1907 and jan 1908 the change over was made.

[silentgreyfello]

I believe this to be a brochure from 1907, though I don't have proof of that. I am still searching for the double cylinder that was offered.